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Will Graham woke up early that day. Even before the sun was high in the sky, he was already dressed and sitting on his bed. Beside him was his suitcase with a few clothes and a few personal belongings, which his mother had helped him pack the day before so he wouldn't forget anything important. This was the first time he would spend so much time away from home, away from his family and friends — and away from his dogs. He was used to living the same quiet life every day, always helping his parents after school, and now here he was, preparing to leave. Despite clinging to the idea that this was an inevitable breakup, something inside him screamed, making his mind imagine all sorts of bad things for his future.
Pushing away the bad thoughts, he closed his eyes and searched for memories of the campus where he would study and live. He had been there weeks earlier with his father so they could arrange all the paperwork for the young student's move. Going to the University of Baltimore was the first step toward becoming the criminal lawyer he aspired to be, and living on campus was a necessary evil, as he would have to get used to his independence. It was agreed that he would spend the holidays with his parents but live on campus, and after graduation, he would move to a neighborhood near the university to continue his studies.
Already in the car, on the way to his destination, he remembered how upset he'd been to discover there were no vacancies in individual dorms. The director had found him a good room — in his own words — and a good roommate to share it with. Taking advantage of the silence of the not-so-long drive, his only hope was that said roommate wasn't a troublemaker or someone prone to chaos, otherwise his entire stay would be ruined. It was almost lunchtime when Will finally reached his destination. He chose to say goodbye to his father in the car and walked alone to the dorm, and somehow, the simple gesture seemed to carry enormous significance.
It didn't take long to reach his destination. The building where his dorm was located was surrounded by beautiful trees, and the weather was very pleasant that morning. He continued to the end of the hallway, arriving at an unmarked door. He put the key in the door and took a deep breath before turn the handle. He had no idea what or who he would find inside; the only thing he knew was that this was a senior student — everything else was a complete mystery. He opened the door and found no one inside. On the other hand, he noticed that the room was very well organized. It wasn't luxurious, but it wasn't bad either — it was about 15 square meters, divided between a small kitchen, a small bathroom, and the beds. The beds were separated by a window, and as he approached it, he realized it had a perfect view of a beautiful garden. He noticed that the bed next to his was very well made and had a peculiar smell, which Will couldn't identify. On the wall was a shelf with several books on medicine, languages, and music. He noticed that there were two armchairs and a television near the door, and that there was a small radio on a makeshift counter in the simple kitchen — which had a sink, a small minibar and an equally small and simple stove.
He didn't notice when the door opened and a man walked in. The man watched him for a few seconds and, realizing he hadn't been noticed, seemed to clear his throat.
“You must be the new one, right?” Without waiting for an answer, he placed the bag he was carrying on the makeshift counter and approached. “Hannibal Lecter.”
“Will Graham.” He shook the outstretched hand. “I'm sorry, I was distracted.”
“It's no problem. I thought you'd be arriving later, so I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you.”
Hannibal stepped away and went straight to the counter, pulling vegetables, greens, and some fruit from his bag. Focused on organizing the food he'd brought with him, it was Will who tried to break the silence.
“You have some cool books here.”
“Do you like them?” Hannibal stopped to stare at him.
“Yes, they're interesting,” the dark-haired man replied, “but they're about unrelated subjects.”
“And why do you say that?” Sensing the other's discomfort, he smiled. “We'll have time to talk about this at lunch. Unless you want to go eat in the cafeteria." He paused. “Are you going to eat in the cafeteria?”
Will shook his head, and the man turned his attention back to the meal he was about to prepare. Soon, they were both sitting at the counter, eating. Although Hannibal had been communicative that first day, he remained quiet and reserved most of the time. Will rarely saw him after class, and except when he was cooking, he would go hours without saying a word. As the classes went on, he discovered that Hannibal was, in fact, very intelligent; he had graduated from medical school in Paris while still living with his aunt and uncle and was now in Baltimore, specializing in forensic psychiatry.
At night, Will watched Hannibal sleeping in the bed next to him, but he wasn't sure why he was so interested in him; why did his silence bother him so much? Hannibal didn't seem like a bad person; he was tall and thin, but without looking frail. He had a well-sculpted face, strikingly light eyes, and his hair was always combed. Still, it wasn't enough. He wanted to know more about Hannibal than what he heard in the hallways; he wanted to know more than what the shelves or what his belongings said about him. After that first day, they never had another conversation as warm as this one. Trying to push the sleeping man next to him from his thoughts, he squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to sleep.
The days passed without incident. They both left for classes early, returned late, and barely exchanged a word. On this particular day, they were surprised when they left their dorm. There was a huge notice announcing that classes had been canceled and that walking around the campus was strictly prohibited. They waited for more information, but after three days, they were formally informed that they would be quarantined in their dorms. Apparently, the pandemic had reached campus, and they would not be allowed to go home. A mix of anguish over not knowing how his parents were doing at home and exhaustion, Will sank heavily into an armchair.
Hannibal cooked for them every day — always making something different and exotic, despite the limited ingredients available — and Will did the dishes. Still, few words were exchanged between them, as his roommate was always busy reading or writing. After the third day of not hearing a word from another human being, Will had an idea.
“Hannibal?”
The other man simply put down the book he was reading.
“Do you like watching horror movies?” he asked, going to his own bed. He pulled his suitcase from under it and took out some DVDs. “It's just that I only have horror movies here.”
“What do you have?”
Hannibal placed the book on the headboard and sat on the bed, looking interested. Will showed him a few movie covers, but the man got up and went to the makeshift kitchen.
“I thought of something better,” he said, opening the minibar. “Pick one you like. Surprise me. I'll make us something to eat in the meantime.”
In less than half an hour, they were sitting side by side in the armchairs, watching Return to Hill House and enjoying a tuna and cheese sandwich — the best Will could remember ever having. They watched in silence, but the young man could tell his roommate seemed uncomfortable with the film. He asked if he wanted to watch something else, and with so many refusals, they finished without much ado.
“So?” he asked, more anxious than he thought he would be.
“So?” Hannibal repeated the question slowly, his voice extremely hoarse. “This movie doesn't do justice to the legacy of the Haunted Hill. Do you really like it?”
“What's wrong with it?”
“The story doesn't make sense, everything there is designed to shock... No, it's not pleasant.”
An awkward silence followed. Will considered arguing, but that wasn't what he wanted; he just wanted to relax, watch a movie, and talk to his mysterious roommate. Fighting over a movie was ridiculous.
“Will?” The young man lifted his head to look at Hannibal, inserting a flash drive into the TV. “You chose a movie to show me. It's only fair that I do the same.”
The man flipped through the folders on the flash drive until he opened a specific file. The title “Dragonwyck” appeared, and an old movie began to play. Will looked from the screen to Hannibal and noticed with amazement how mesmerized he seemed by the film. The young man couldn't help but find Hannibal's concentration amusing.
“Well,” Hannibal said as soon as the movie ended, “it's not exactly horror, but it's one of my favorite movies.”
“So, you’re more of a classicist?”
“Classicist?” The man looked confused.
“About your tastes,” Will hurried to say. “I brought a sequel to a relatively recent remake, and you brought a classic like that.”
“Ah,” he smiled. “Yes, I prefer classics, let’s just say.”
They were facing each other, and Will couldn't take his eyes off the older man's face. However, he noticed Hannibal staring at him too. His throat felt dry with nervousness; it was as if they'd been silent for hours.
“And what else do you like?” Will broke the silence, but without taking his eyes off him.
Hannibal stood up and closed the distance between them even further. Close enough to feel each other's breath, he closed his eyes as he felt the older man lean toward his, leaving their faces separated by mere inches. Instead of receiving a kiss, he felt Hannibal sniff his neck and slowly pulled away. Opening his eyes slowly, he found a pair of bright eyes fixed on him.
“That,” he smiled, “you'll find out soon enough.”
Gathering up the trash they'd made, Hannibal walked away, leaving a perplexed Will sitting in the armchair. Without moving, Will watched Hannibal slowly walk away. Even without understanding exactly what was going on between them, the brunette was determined to find out what his eccentric roommate's intentions were.